1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an email receiver and method of receiving email.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, an email-type Internet facsimile apparatus (hereafter referred to as IFAX) that communicates data via the Internet using email as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 8-242326 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,233, has been put to practical use.
Such IFAX is provided with the same configuration and user interface as G3/G4 facsimile apparatus used in an office or a home. In other words, the operational components of the IFAX is installed in a single housing or case, is operated from a panel comprising ten-key, one touch buttons, etc. and provides information to a user by relatively small LCD display.
Procedures by which the IFAX receives email will now be briefly described. The IFAX accesses a reception mail server (for example, POP3 server) and stores attached image files(facsimile data) in an image memory while receiving an email stored in the mail box assigned to the owner's mail account. After the completion of email reception, image files are decompressed and outputted to a printer.
However, in a conventional IFAX, a capacity of an image memory for storing image files is in most cases not necessarily large enough. In such a situation, it is assumed that the image memory has a memory overflow while receiving an email and there is no choice but to interrupt email reception at that moment. Usually when the IFAX does not receive an email normally, the email is left in the reception server without being erased. As the result, when the IFAX accesses the reception server again, it tries to receive the remaining email again and the reception should be interrupted because memory overflow occurs during in the middle of the reception. Although it is possible to set up the IFAX so that a failed email is erased from the reception mail server, in this case all images attached to the email are not received.